Promoting effective teaching and learning: hospital consultants identify their needs

The aim of this study was to help hospital consultants identify their needs in relation to teaching skills, leading to the development of a teacher training programme.

The study was directed at all 869 consultants in the region and initially involved a postal questionnaire which had a 60.5% response rate.

Hospitals throughout Northern Ireland.

Hospital consultants.

Results from this questionnaire indicated that while the majority of respondents were interested teachers, only 34% had received any teacher training. The questionnaire was followed by a focus group study involving three groups of consultants drawn randomly from those who had responded to the questionnaire. Participants in these groups identified the following key areas of hospital education: qualities of hospital teachers; selection procedures; problems of teaching in hospitals; the need for teacher training and how it should be provided.

The study highlighted that hospital teachers need to acquire and update their teaching skills through attending courses that should include basic teaching and assessment/appraisal skills. These courses should last 1 or 2 days and be provided at a regional or subregional level. As a result of this study, teacher training courses have been developed in this region.